Li Shang returned from the training ground, wiping sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. His body still felt the weight of the training against his clone, but the result had been satisfactory.
'My energy has stabilized. My body is adapting quickly.'
He thought about resting, maybe stopping by Ichiraku. A recent habit — observing the flow of people, the guards, the rhythm of the village, this was a stark contrast to his past life.
He took the road leading to the main gate, unhurried. There was less movement than usual. Two merchants carried carts of hay, some low-ranking ninjas were on patrol. Nothing out of the ordinary.
But something bothered him.
A variation in air pressure, almost imperceptible. The kind of sensation only someone with refined perception would notice.
'There's too much chakra circulating at the outer limit.'
He stopped. He closed his eyes for an instant and expanded his spiritual sense. The Tenseigan reacted immediately. The energy currents around him became clear. Among dozens of faint signatures, two stood out — stable, deep, and abnormal.
'Two individuals. One dense, irregular chakra... the other is calm, but heavy. They are not common.'
For a moment, he thought about ignoring it. But curiosity won. He adjusted his cloak and kept walking.
As he approached the curve leading to the north gate, the presences became clearer. They were moving towards the village center, at a steady pace.
Li Shang slowed his pace and kept to the side of the road, feigning distraction.
When the figures appeared in sight, he understood why the air felt different.
Two men. Both wearing the same type of dark cloak with red clouds embroidered. The one in front had black hair, a serene face, and eyes that glowed even from a distance. The other, tall, with bluish skin, carried a huge sword wrapped in bandages.
Li Shang stopped.
They walked side by side, talking softly, as if they were on a simple journey. No disguise, no attempt to hide their presence.
'They are entering through the main road... are they allies?'
Li Shang observed the chakra flow of both. One was a well of absolute calm, every particle controlled. The second, the opposite — his chakra vibrated like an irritated beast.
He thought about retreating, but the two were already too close.
Itachi raised his eyes in his direction.
For an instant, their gazes met. Li Shang did not look away.
The three walked unhurriedly. Li Shang maintained a safe distance, observing out of the corner of his eye how the two men ahead adjusted their walking direction. Before, they followed the main road, but now they were moving away, taking a side path that led to an isolated area, almost without movement.
'They are definitely not allies.'
His instinct screamed to retreat, but the chakra emanating from them was so dense and aggressive that the simple act of turning seemed dangerous. Still, he tried.
He took half a step back — and the deep voice of one of them cut the silence.
"Look, Itachi, now he wants to run away. Why don't you get closer? We need information."
In a blink of an eye, the blue-skinned man was in front of him, blocking his path. His smile was sharp, and the blade wrapped in bandages on his back seemed to vibrate with excitement.
Li Shang did not move a muscle.
'Itachi... he's in the Bingo Book. The man who exterminated his own clan.'
His gaze slid to the second. The black hair, the serene face, and the cold gaze betrayed him. The scratched Konoha headband, the active Sharingan.
The chances of surviving a direct confrontation were non-existent.
"Sorry to interrupt your business," he said calmly. "I was just curious about strong, unknown ninjas walking around inside the village."
His voice sounded neutral, almost disinterested, but inside he was calculating escape routes and hoping some jounin would notice those presences.
Itachi kept his gaze on him. The Sharingan analyzed him in silence, every movement, every breath.
"A Hyuuga from the branch family." He tilted his head slightly. "But there's something different about you."
His gaze subtly lowered to Li Shang's forehead. The curse mark was there, exposed, but the absence of the headband made it visible — and his eyes, blue and intense, immediately drew attention.
"Why are your eyes different?"
Li Shang took a deep breath, keeping his tone light.
"Oh... surprised you're not the only one with special eyes?" A slight smile crossed his lips. "Actually, I really am different, as you said. Something about Ōtsutsuki, star gods, you know?"
He left the phrase hanging, provoking the interest of the two. If Itachi hesitated, someone from the village would feel the intruders' chakra. Gaining time was the best scenario.
Kisame laughed, a hoarse, carefree sound.
"Ōtsutsuki? Kid, do you really believe those stories? The only god I know is brute force."
He turned to Itachi, amused.
"Look, he talks as if he were a descendant of the Sage of Six Paths. Young dreamers."
But Itachi did not respond immediately. There was something in Li Shang's eyes that made him uneasy — a familiar glow, a sense of depth he had only seen once before.
"The dōjutsu of the Sage of Six Paths was the Rinnegan," he finally said. "And it looks nothing like yours, kid."
Li Shang hid his satisfaction behind a thoughtful expression.
'So... Rinnegan... there's another.'
"I understand," he replied. "So there is another ancestral dōjutsu." He tilted his head, as if genuinely reflecting on the matter. "Do you know anything about the Tenseigan?"
Itachi kept his gaze fixed on him.
"Tenseigan?" he repeated, expressionless.
Kisame snorted.
"Another one of your inventions, kid? I've never heard of it."
But Itachi remained silent.
Li Shang observed their reactions and maintained his composure.
'They took the bait. Itachi is curious, Kisame, skeptical. Perfect.'
The conversation was working. He just needed to prolong it.
With the expanded vision of the Tenseigan, Li Shang followed, kilometers away, the movement of Kakashi, Kurenai, and Asuma. The three were gathered on one of the central streets, discussing something with Sasuke.
'They'll notice. The presence of these two is too strong to go unnoticed for long.'
If he could hold the dialogue for a few more minutes, interference would be inevitable.
Itachi took a step forward.
"You speak of things you don't understand," he said in a low voice. "You're trying to buy time, aren't you?"
Li Shang smiled, feigning lightness.
"Indeed, the Uchiha genius."
'Fleeing was the smart choice,' Li Shang thought.
"Kisame, let's finish this."
Itachi's tone was firm, but controlled. Kisame nodded, adjusting his sword on his back, the wide smile returning to his face.
The air seemed to change. Li Shang felt the dense Yin chakra concentrate around Itachi — a cold, deep energy that came not from the body, but from the soul itself.
'A soul attack? Genjutsu.'
He perceived the spiritual flow trying to envelop him, the mental field distorting around his senses. The pressure was real, but... it didn't affect him.
Itachi kept his gaze fixed, waiting for a reaction.
Seconds passed.
Nothing happened.
Kisame leaned forward, confused.
"Itachi?"
No change. The boy in front of them remained motionless, his gaze calm, almost bored.
Kisame looked at his partner, surprised.
"You... used a genjutsu, didn't you?"
Itachi's silence was the confirmation. He kept his eyes fixed on Li Shang, and for the first time, his voice wavered.
"He... is immune to genjutsu."
Li Shang raised an eyebrow, a half-smile appearing on his lips.
"I am? Cool."
Inside, he just watched.
'Try as you wish. My soul has already been tempered in a world where thought shapes reality. Genjutsu is nothing more than an illusion of one who still dreams.'
The Tenseigan pulsed slightly, the spiritual chakra around it dispersing like mist under the sun.
'Those eyes... are truly something.'